Deck 1: Examples and Definitions of Abnormal Behavior

Question 1

What is one of the advantages of Jerome Wakefield's harmful dysfunction approach to defining mental disorders?

A) Cultural factors do not affect the definition.
B) The definition is based on established humanistic criteria.
C) The meaning of harmful is limited to life threatening conditions.
D) As much as possible objective evaluation is used to define the dysfunction.

Answer 1

As much as possible objective evaluation is used to define the dysfunction.

Question 2

In the term "harmful dysfunction," the word dysfunction refers to

A) a mental disorder.
B) a set of distinguishing symptoms.
C) a disruption of thought, feeling, or perception.
D) the inability of the person to function at work or school.

Answer 2

a disruption of thought, feeling, or perception.

Question 3

What problem in defining abnormal behavior is evident in the case of Kevin Warner described in the text?

A) Some statistically rare forms of behavior are desirable.
B) Some mental disorders have symptoms that are not harmful.
C) A behavior is not dysfunctional unless it is statistically unusual.
D) Some people do not perceive their abnormal behavior as personally stressful.

Answer 3

Some people do not perceive their abnormal behavior as personally stressful.

Question 4

Determining the presence of disorder is based on all but which one of the following?

A) duration of a person's symptoms
B) the presence of a specific symptom in isolation
C) impairment of the ability to perform occupational roles
D) impairment of the ability to perform social roles

Question 5

Why did the staff at the psychiatric hospital give Kevin Warner injections of antipsychotic medication?

A) People with Kevin's blood type do not respond to medication in pill form.
B) A high level of gastric juices in his digestive system destroyed the medication.
C) He only pretended to take the pills because he believed people were trying to poison him.
D) Antipsychotic drugs given by injection do not have the same serious side effects as those in pill form.

Question 6

The symptoms and signs of mental illness are known as

A) the analysis of the mind.
B) the treatment of mental disorders.
C) psychopathology.
D) the ancient philosophy of the interaction of mind and body.

Question 7

Which of the following is a rare form of psychopathology?

A) schizophrenia
B) panic disorder
C) major depression
D) gender identity disorder

Question 8

What is the literal meaning of the word psychopathology?

A) demons within
B) deviant behavior
C) brain dysfunction
D) pathology of the mind

Question 9

A magazine reporter wants to write a story describing the occurrence of mental disorders in the United States. She needs a title that captures the findings of a national survey completed several years ago. Which of the following would be the best title?

A) "Rate of mental disorders considered low"
B) "Almost everyone will be diagnosed with a mental disorder at some point in their life."
C) "Rate of mental disorders overestimated in the past"
D) "At least two out of every four Americans will experience a serious form of abnormal behavior at some point in their life."

Question 10

While you and your friends are watching a movie, one of the characters says, "That's an example of insanity" in reference to another character. Because you are taking a course in abnormal psychology, everyone turns to you. What do you say about the term insanity?

A) "The key to identifying insanity is the presence of delusions."
B) "In order to be insane, a person must show evidence of some biological cause of the symptoms."
C) "Insanity is a general term that refers to the presence of severe signs of mental deterioration."
D) "Insanity is a legal term that refers to judgments about whether a person should be held responsible for criminal behavior."

Question 11

Specific laboratory tests to confirm the presence of psychopathology

A) do not at present exist.
B) are used by psychologists but not by psychiatrists.
C) are used by psychiatrists but not by psychologists.
D) are used to test for the presence of some viral infection or brain lesion to confirm a diagnosis.

Question 12

A problem with defining abnormal behavior in terms of deviation from statistical norms is that this definition

A) focuses only on very rare conditions.
B) focuses only on conditions that are actually relatively common.
C) does not specify how unusual the behavior must be to be considered abnormal.
D) only considers deviations that are harmful.

Question 13

According to the textbook the line dividing normal from abnormal is

A) always clear.
B) often one of degree.
C) based on the exact form or content of behavior.
D) not a very important issue.

Question 14

Which is the best description of abnormal psychology?

A) a deviant personality trait
B) analysis of the childhood roots of pathology
C) study of unconscious influences on mental disorders
D) application of psychological science to the study of mental disorders

Question 15

In the United States and other developed countries, mental disorders are the ___leading cause of disease burden.

A) 2nd
B) 5th
C) 10th
D) 30th

Question 16

The case of Kevin Warner was presented in the text as an example of the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Which of Kevin's symptoms strongly suggested that he had lost touch with reality, which is the defining feature of schizophrenia?

A) social withdrawal
B) difficulty in communicating
C) inability to succeed at work
D) belief that people were poisoning him

Question 17

The point of view of this textbook is that

A) very few people will ever come into contact with the problems that are associated with mental illness.
B) isolation between people with mental illness and people without mental illness benefits both groups.
C) it is likely that everyone will be touched by the problems associated with mental illness at some point in their life.
D) mental illness is almost a thing of the past due to modern treatments.

Question 18

A group of symptoms that appear together and are assumed to represent a specific type of disorder is referred to as a

A) syndrome.
B) sign.
C) psychosis.
D) disease.

Question 19

According to Jerome Wakefield, one essential component of the definition of a mental disorder is

A) statistical rarity.
B) one distinguishing symptom.
C) an individual's subjective distress.
D) tissue damage revealed by medical tests.

Question 20

Applying the concept of harmful dysfunction to the case of Kevin Warner, we can emphasize Kevin's failures of which of the following mental mechanisms?

A) perception
B) thinking
C) communication
D) all of the above

Question 21

Two terms are particularly important in epidemiological research, incidence and __________.

A) statistical validity
B) correlation
C) prevalence
D) N

Question 22

What was one of the factors that seems to have played a role in Mary's development of an eating disorder? (This is from one of the case studies.)

A) sexual abuse throughout childhood
B) She was prone to sleepwalking episodes.
C) a genetic predisposition to high levels of anxiety
D) She was determined that she would never gain as much weight as her mother had.

Question 23

Which organization publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, text revision 4th Edition (DSM-IV-TR)?

A) World Health Organization
B) American Psychiatric Association
C) American Psychological Association
D) National Institute of Mental Health

Question 24

A woman who is unable to achieve orgasm and who lives in a society that discourages female sexuality would probably not be given the DSM diagnosis of female orgasmic disorder because

A) she probably would not experience any distress or impairment.
B) she would be distressed but not impaired.
C) she would be impaired but not distressed.
D) she would probably be both distressed and impaired.

Question 25

An epidemiologist studies rates of depression in a community over a one-year period. Her calculation of incidence will be based on the

A) average time between diagnosis and cure.
B) proportion of people who had ever been depressed.
C) number of new cases that developed during that year.
D) total number of active cases on the day of calculation.

Question 26

What principle guided developers of the DSM-IV-TR as they wrote definitions of mental disorders?

A) Definitions should consider political factors.
B) Disorders should be associated with distress or disability.
C) Deviant behaviors that are encouraged by certain religions should be included.
D) Abnormal behaviors should have a biological basis to be considered mental disorders.

Question 27

The DSM definition of mental disorder excludes all of the following EXCEPT

A) a culturally sanctioned response to a particular event.
B) beliefs and actions shared by a religious group.
C) sexual behavior of sexual minority groups such as gays or lesbians.
D) behavior of which the individual is unaware.

Question 28

In a nearby town, two people had anxiety disorders in the past but not now. Three people developed anxiety disorders four or five years ago, and continue to have an anxiety disorder now. Six people developed anxiety disorders this year and continue to be so diagnosed. Which of the following might an epidemiologist write in her report concerning the rate of mental disorders in this community?

A) incidence (this year) = 5; lifetime prevalence = 6
B) incidence (this year) = 6; lifetime prevalence = 11
C) lifetime prevalence = 5; lifetime prevalence = 3
D) lifetime prevalence = 5; incidence (this year) = 11

Question 29

Which of these is an example of something an epidemiologist would do?

A) encourage people with the flu to avoid alcohol
B) study rates of alcoholism in urban versus rural areas
C) investigate the effects of clothing preference on social communication
D) study chromosomes to find abnormal genes associated with various diseases

Question 30

Behaviors of entertainers like the stars of the movie Jackass, in which individuals are shown taking reckless risks of their own devising, can be bizarre and outrageous without being viewed as evidence of a mental disorder because such behaviors

A) are voluntary and serve a useful function.
B) are rare and unusual.
C) can cause harm.
D) deviate from society's standards of proper behavior.

Question 31

Which publication contains the official criteria for diagnosing mental disorders?

A) Physicians' Desk Reference
B) Syndromes of Mental Disorders
C) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
D) American Psychiatric Association Guidelines for Diagnosis

Question 32

Conditions like albinism or fused toes are physical dysfunctions but would not be regarded as disorders because they

A) are physical.
B) do not cause any harm.
C) are rare.
D) are not easily diagnosed.

Question 33

Compared to Kevin Warner, Mary Childress was much more acutely aware of her disorder; this tells us that

A) Mary has a disorder while Kevin doesn't.
B) Kevin has a disorder while Mary doesn't.
C) Mary probably experiences more distress than Kevin.
D) Mary is probably more impaired than Kevin.

Question 34

Culture is defined in terms of

A) the level of education attained by most people in a specific group.
B) the degree of emphasis a community places on art and literature.
C) the values, beliefs, and practices shared by a specific group of people.
D) the similarity of people within a group.

Question 35

What was the focus of the underlying dysfunction in the case of Mary's bingeing-purging eating disorder?

A) loss of neurons
B) mechanisms that regulate appetite
C) failure to process dream memories
D) poor motor skills resulting from lack of oxygen at birth

Question 36

Olivia grew up in a society where mourners pull out their hair, go into an emotional frenzy, and speak in tongues. On a visit to the U.S., she did these things in public when she heard that a relative had died. According to DSM-IV-TR, her behavior would be considered

A) psychopathological, because of her personal distress.
B) not psychopathological, because it is part of her culture.
C) psychopathological, because it disrupted her social functioning.
D) not psychopathological, because it caused no disruption in social functioning.

Question 37

What is the emphasis of the definition of abnormal behavior in the DSM‑IV-TR?

A) statistical rarity
B) biological etiology
C) biological disadvantage in terms of reproduction
D) personal distress or impairment in social functioning

Question 38

Epidemiology is the scientific study of the

A) effects of diets.
B) biological treatment of diseases.
C) frequency and distribution of disorders.
D) classification systems for mental disorders.

Question 39

What is one of the signs of the possible presence of bingeing and purging that was noticed in the case of Mary?

A) loss of hearing
B) teeth/gum problems
C) frequent bone fractures
D) fluctuating dopamine levels

Question 40

What is the history of the "diagnosis" homosexuality in the DSM?

A) Homosexuality was never a diagnosis in the DSM.
B) Homosexuality was, and is, a possible diagnosis in the DSM.
C) Homosexuality was a diagnosis in the first two editions of the DSM, taken out for the third edition, and then reintroduced in the 4th.
D) Homosexuality was a diagnosis in the first two editions of the DSM, taken out for the third edition, and has never been reintroduced.

Question 41

In research on disease burden, the disability associated with schizophrenia is considered to be comparable to that associated with

A) diabetes.
B) hypertension.
C) quadriplegia.
D) Alzheimer's disease.

Question 42

Investigators in the World Health Organization (WHO) predict that, relative to other types of health problems, the burden of mental health disorders will _________________by 2020.

A) increase
B) decrease
C) stay about the same
D) increase in developing countries and decrease in developed countries

Question 43

According to the textbook some disorders, such as __________, are found in virtually every culture social scientists have studied.

A) sleep apnea
B) alcoholism
C) schizophrenia
D) bulimia

Question 44

Comorbidity exists when

A) two people have the same disorder.
B) one person has first one disorder, then later develops another.
C) one person has more than one condition within the same period of time.
D) a health professional cannot distinguish between two different conditions.

Question 45

Which disorder is about equally common in men and women in the United States?

A) depression
B) bipolar mood disorder
C) alcohol abuse/dependence
D) antisocial personality disorder

Question 46

The World Health Organization estimates that all mental disorders combined account for _____ percent of all disability worldwide.

A) less than 1
B) 11
C) 28
D) 52

Question 47

The presence of more than one condition within the same time period is known as

A) twin diagnosis.
B) double diagnosis.
C) comorbidity.
D) confounded morbidity.

Question 48

The only medical condition with a higher incidence than mental disorders is

A) closed head injury.
B) alcohol addiction.
C) cancer.
D) cardiovascular disease.

Question 49

In order to compare the disability associated with different conditions, epidemiologists had to assume that the burden associated with certain mental disorders was equivalent to that associated with diseases and injuries. Which of the following is a correct association of a mental disorder with a medical condition?

A) mania : heart disease
B) panic disorder : cancer
C) depression : blindness
D) schizophrenia : diabetes

Question 50

What has research on disease burden found concerning the relative impact of medical illnesses and mental disorders?

A) Medical illnesses and mental disorders are associated with equal levels of disease burden.
B) Although quite prevalent, mental disorders account for insignificant levels of disease burden.
C) Mental disorders are responsible for more disease burden than all of the medical illnesses combined.
D) Although mental disorders account for a small number of deaths, they are a significant cause of disease burden.

Question 51

What two factors are combined to measure disease burden?

A) mortality and disability
B) infection rates and poverty levels
C) physician visits and pollution levels
D) daily caloric intake and hospitalization rates

Question 52

How has research on comorbidity changed the focus of epidemiological research?

A) shifted the focus from the psychotic disorders to milder disorders that affect more people
B) higher than expected prevalence of mental retardation led to more emphasis on intellectual ability
C) shifted the focus from counting the number of people with a disorder to measuring the functional impairment associated with the problems
D) evidence for the biological etiology of more mental disorders has switched the focus to identifying the genes responsible for particular disorders

Question 53

An epidemiologist is about to testify to Congress on the findings of comorbidity. Which of the following points will she want to make after reviewing research on comorbidity?

A) Most mental disorders have a biological basis.
B) Those with severe impairment often have more than one disorder.
C) We have underestimated the role of toxins as the cause of disorders.
D) The majority of mental disorders tend to "run in families" as a result of genetic anomalies.

Question 54

All of the following are disorders that are more common in women than men except

A) eating disorders.
B) anxiety disorders.
C) major depression.
D) alcoholism.

Question 55

Which is the most accurate statement about the lifetime prevalence rates for bipolar disorder in the United States?

A) More men than women will be diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
B) More women than men will be diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
C) Almost twice as many women will receive this diagnosis.
D) The rates for this disorder are the same for men and women.

Question 56

Which of the following is most accurate for the situation in the United States?

A) Bulimia is higher among university women and more common in older women.
B) Bulimia is higher in working women and more common in younger women.
C) Bulimia is higher among university women and more common in younger women..
D) Bulimia is higher in working women and more common in younger women

Question 57

Based on the results of the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NDR-R) Study, which disorder has the highest lifetime prevalence in the United States?

A) schizophrenia
B) major depression
C) bipolar mood disorder
D) obsessive-compulsive disorder

Question 58

Which disorder is more common in men than women?

A) depression
B) schizophrenia
C) bipolar disorder
D) alcohol abuse/dependence

Question 59

Which of the following is the correct listing of the disease burden associated with the top three illness categories?

A) cardiovascular conditions, all drug use, all mental disorders
B) cardiovascular conditions, all mental disorders, all malignant diseases (cancer)
C) all drug use, all infectious and parasitic diseases, all respiratory diseases
D) all mental disorders, all respiratory conditions, all cardiovascular conditions

Question 60

If a disorder is short-term and typically has a high rate of recovery, then lifetime prevalence rates for that disorder will be ____________ one-year prevalence rates.

A) somewhat lower than
B) much higher than
C) equal to
D) much lower than

Question 61

An epidemiologist conducts a comparison of the incidence of bulimia nervosa in various groups. The data can be categorized in many ways. After analyzing the data, what is the epidemiologist likely to say her findings reveal?

A) The incidence is declining among all groups.
B) The rate is relatively even across socioeconomic and age groups.
C) The incidence is much higher among university women than among working women.
D) The incidence is high among older women who have recently entered the workforce.

Question 62

Specialized mental health professionals treat _____ percent of those who seek help for mental disorders.

A) 10
B) 20
C) 40
D) 60

Question 63

Which individual is most likely to suffer bulimia nervosa?

A) Amy, a 19-year-old college student
B) Michael, a 30-year-old auto mechanic
C) Joe, a 45-year-old air traffic controller
D) Isabel, a 10-year-old grade-school student

Question 64

The textbook suggests that one likely change in the future in the mental health professions is

A) boundaries between professions will become less rigid.
B) boundaries between professions will become more rigid.
C) restricting the rights of non-psychologists to administer tests will increase.
D) legislation restricting the use of psychological terminology to licensed personnel will be adopted.

Question 65

George completed five years of graduate school that led to a Psy.D. degree. He is now completing a one-year internship at a mental health clinic. What type of mental health professional is George?

A) psychiatrist
B) social worker
C) medical therapist
D) clinical psychologist

Question 66

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the specialized training needed to prepare people to provide professional assistance to those who suffer from mental disorders?

A) It is necessary to pursue a degree in medicine.
B) It is desirable to pursue a degree in medicine.
C) It is necessary to pursue an advanced degree in psychology.
D) There are many forms of appropriate specialized training available.

Question 67

All of the following can be concluded from cross-cultural studies except:

A) All mental disorders are shaped, to some extent, by cultural factors.
B) No mental disorders are due entirely to cultural or social factors.
C) Psychotic disorders are more influenced by culture than other disorders.
D) The symptoms of certain disorders are more likely to vary across cultures than are the disorders themselves.

Question 68

What is the best description of clinical psychology?

A) a branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of mental disorders
B) a legal term used to identify practitioners who use various forms of psychotherapy
C) the application of psychological science to the assessment and treatment of mental disorders
D) a newly established branch of medicine that has connections to both psychiatry and psychology

Question 69

Which of the following is most true regarding bulimia?

A) The prevalence is higher in Western nations than other parts of the world, and the number of cases increased during the later part of the 20th century.
B) The prevalence is lower in Western nations than other parts of the world, and the number of cases increased during the later part of the 20th century.
C) The prevalence is higher in Western nations than other parts of the world, and the number of cases decreased during the later part of the 20th century.
D) The prevalence is higher in developing nations than other parts of the world, and the number of cases increased during the later part of the 20th century.

Question 70

From which of the following are people who seek help for mental disorders most likely to receive help?

A) primary care physicians
B) social workers
C) psychiatrists
D) psychologists

Question 71

The major difference between Ph.D. and Psy.D. degrees in psychology involves the degree of emphasis on training in

A) treatment methods.
B) assessment methods.
C) research methods.
D) the uses of medications.

Question 72

Which physician has received specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders?

A) neurologist
B) psychiatrist
C) dermatologist
D) clinical physician

Question 73

You were asked to find the number of various professionals providing mental health services in the United States. Which group will top the list?

A) psychiatrists
B) family physician
C) clinical psychologists
D) marriage and family therapists

Question 74

Some professionals work in crisis, residential, and case management programs for people with severe forms of disorder, such as schizophrenia. They teach people practical, day-to-day skills that are necessary for living in the community. This field is known as

A) clinical co-worker.
B) psychosocial rehabilitation.
C) marriage and family therapy.
D) psychiatric nursing.

Question 75

Which category of disorders seems less affected by culture?

A) anxiety
B) neurotic
C) psychotic
D) personality

Question 76

On a talk show last night Don described some symptoms of anxiety he has experienced during the past year. He said his therapist prescribed an anti-anxiety medication, which seems to be effective. Based on Don's description, you conclude that the therapist is a

A) podiatrist.
B) psychiatrist.
C) social worker.
D) clinical psychologist.

Question 77

The largest group of clinically trained professionals providing mental health services in the United States are

A) psychiatrists.
B) clinical psychologists.
C) social workers.
D) psychiatric nurses.

Question 78

Which approach to providing services for those with mental disorders is represented by this description: Will work in crisis and case management programs for people with severe disorders. Will teach practical day-to-day skills to clients. High school education or bachelor's degree needed.

A) counseling
B) social work
C) social management
D) psychosocial rehabilitation

Question 79

One specific difference between psychiatrists and psychologists is that the psychiatrist

A) is able to provide psychotherapy.
B) can prescribe medication.
C) uses the DSM to diagnose mental disorders.
D) has had supervised clinical experience.

Question 80

Epidemiological evidence suggests that which of the following factors is an important ingredient in establishing risk for developing an eating disorder?

A) comorbidity
B) genetics
C) holding particular sets of values related to women's appearance
D) early family relations